Inhaler



Aug. ll, 1950 A v. c. HALL 2,517,482

l INHALER y Filed April 9, 1949 INVENToR. Vrh-for d, /a/

A TTORNEY.

Patented ug. l, 1950 INHALER victor c. nell, Meaia.,`Pa., assigner to sharp a Dohme, Incorporated, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Maryland Application Aprile, 1949, serial N0. :36,522

.l This invention relates to inhalers and more particularly to an article of this character for use in inhaling powdered therapeutic material through the nose or through` the mouth.

Certain diseases of the respiratory tract are known to respond to treatment by the direct application of designated therapeutic agents. As these agents are most readily available in dry powdered form, their application is most conveniently accomplished by inhaling the powdered material through the nose or mouth.

If the disease tissue is in the nose, the pow: dered material is best drawn up into the nasal cavity. If the afflicted tissue is in the lower tract, as in the lungs, the powdered therapeutic agent is conveniently inhaled through the mouth. The inhaler should be useable in both instances.

As the inhalation of the powdered material will, in any event, bring it into the throat area, a coughing reaction will be brought about unless the powder is finely dispersed into the air stream being inhaled. As the throat membranes are already likely to be in irritated condition arising from the need for a curative treatment, a concentrated application will further aggravate the condition.

It is therefore important that the inhaler serve to deliver the powdered material into the inhaled air stream over a prolonged period and to make certain that a large amount of the material cannot become dislodged into the air stream at any moment. These results are obtained with the inhaler of the present invention. Due to its novel features of construction, only a regulated, small amount of the powder can the air stream `being drawn through the inhaler.

Inasmuch as the therapeutic material is likely to` be expensive, it is important that none of it be spilled or otherwise be lost from the inhaler.

The construction of the present inhaler makes it practically impossible to waste the agent from the inhaler and assures delivery of the entire charge into the air stream and to the patient.

Another important feature of the article of the present invention to use conventional capsules in which the powdered material is commercially supplied. As these capsules are obtainable 'at the lowest cost, their direct use asa part of the inhaler of the invention, materially contributes to the ease of use of the inhaler.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed in the accompanying drawings, in

` which:

be delivered into is that it: makes it possible 6 Claims. (Cl. 12S-206) Fig. 2 is an exploded view, a portion of the base being broken away to show the action of the capsule piercing instrument;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view in vertical section;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line lI`4 `of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a side view of the capsule piercing instrument.

Generally considered, the inhaler consists of an outer hollow body or shell I0 and an inner powder containing capsule I I. It may be observed at this point that the capsule II is of the conventional type consisting of two telescopic sections. The body of this capsule is preferably made of the usual frangible,'relatively rigid,` plastic material.

To most easily enable the disposition of the capsule II within the hollow interior of the shell IIJ, the shell is made in two separable portions.

These include the base I2 and the cover I3.

The base l2 has a lower flange I4 and an upper cylindrical extension I5. The nange I4 `presents an upwardly facing seating surface I6 and the cylindrical extension I5 presents an `upwardly facing seating surface Il. These surfaces and I1 coact with the cover I3 to form an air tight seal, as will later appear.

Within the top of the base is a recess I8 to receive the capsule I I. As here shown, the recess I8 is of elongated shape to conform to the general contour of the capsule It. It is preferable that the recess I8 be slightly deeper than the capsule so that during the time that the capsule is being held downwardly into the recess under manual pressure, it will not be easily dislodged. This is desirable while the capsule is being punctured, as will be explained.

Through the wall of the cylindrical extension I5 are openings 20. It will be observed thatlthese openings 20 are in axial alignment with each other and with the axis of the capsule recess I8. As a consequence, the openings 2i! enter into the opposite ends of the capsule recess I8.

These openings 20 serve as guideways for the insertion of an instrument 2| for piercing the ends of the capsule II. This instrument is generally of rod or pin-like shape. One end of the shaft of this instrument 2l is preferably enlarged to form a head or finger gripping portion 22 and the other end is preferably pointed, as at 23, to enter the end of the capsule Il.

It has been advisable to provide means for limiting the insertion of the piercing instrument 2|. This may be accomplished by having its shaft portion ofsuch length that the head 22 will strike against thebody.` of thebase I2 when the times pointed end 23 has sufficiently entered the capsule II. However, for ease of use, it has been found preferable to form a shoulder at 24 on the shaft of the instrument, and a shoulder at 25 within the openings 20, which will contact at the desired limit of insertion.

The shoulder 24 on the shaft of the piercing instrument 2l is most easily formed by reducing the size of the shaft at the desired point, to the piercing end 23 thereof. To form the shoulder 25 within the openings 20, these openings are merely shaped with counterbores from the periphery of the base.

The cover I3 is of cylindrical shape at its lower portion and has a rounded or dome shaped top 26. A hole 2l is formed through this top. This rounded shape of the top 26 is so that it may be easily pressed against a nostril opening, or against the lips so that it can be drawn upon during in haling. The top can, of course, be made of more pointed or conical shape, if desired, to suit personal preferences;

The open end of the cylindrical portion of the p cover I3 frictionally fits upon the cylindrical eX tension I5 of the base I2. The end face 28 of the cover I3 bears against the seating surface I6 to further make an air-tight seal. Within the open end of the cover i3 is formed a shoulder 29 to bear against the seating surface I l of the base, to make an even tighter seal. Either one of these abutting seating surfaces is sufficient, if it is de`^ sired to simplify the construction, but one pair of seating surfaces is desirable to limit the insertion of the base within the cover.

The chamber 3l within the cover I 3 is larger in all dimensions than the greatest dimension of the capsule l I. This relationship is important so that the capsule lI can turn about in all directions within the chamber 3l as it is agitated by the flowing air stream.

To permit entrance of air into the hollow in-V' terior of the inhaler shell, ports 32 are formed through the side wall of the cover I3. It will be observed that these ports 32 pass angularly through the cylindrical wall of the cover I3 so that the entering air is delivered generally tan-v gentially into the chamber 3 l. This causes a circular, whirlpooling motion of air within the chamber 3i.

The top of the agitation chamber 3l is defined by a screen 33. It may be held in place in any suitable manner. As here shown, it is cemented against an internal annular surface 35 of the cover I3. This screen 33 serves o keep the capsule il within the large chamber 3l so that it can move about more freely than it could if it were to enter up into the smaller dome shaped top of the cover i3. It keeps the capsule away from the hole 2l and thus overcomes any tendency to block flow of air and powder therethrough. Also, the screen 33 is of fine mesh to hold back any large powder particles and any broken fragments of the perforated capsule.

The shell is preferably made of a clear plastic as polystyrene or an acrylic copolymer, but it can be made of any synthetic or metallic material. For example, it can be made of a phenol-formaldehyde resin or of aluminum. The puncturing instrument is preferably made of some metal as aluminum or stainless steel, but it can as well be made of a hard plastic.

In using the inhaler, the shell is separated and upon, either through the nose or through the mouth, air is drawn into the tangential ports 32. The resulting swirling or whirlpooling motion of this air above the capsule serves to lift the capsule out of the recess I 8 and to bring it up into the chamber 3 l. Within the chamber 3| the capsule turns about in all directions and serves to dislodge or eject the contained powder out of its open ends. As the motion of the capsule is primarily one of rotation about a vertical axis which is transverse to the length of the capsule, the resulting centrifugal action ejects the powdered material out of the opposite ends of the capsule.

This action of dislodging the powdered material into the air stream continues during the entire time that suction is applied to the top end of the inhaler. Inasmuch as the powder can escape only through the small openings which have been formed in the ends of the capsule, the delivery of the powdered material is at a reduced rate and it is impossible for a large sudden discharge to be administered.

After such use, 'the inhaler is separated and the capsule is removed and thrown away. It will :be observed that there is no loss, therefore, of any expensive portion of the article. The piercing instrument is then placed within the chamber 3| so that it will. be retained with the article during the time that the article is not in use.

It will be observed that the size of the holes which are formed in the opposite ends of the capsuie I I will determine the rate of delivery of the powdered material from the capsule. As a consequence, by employing a piercing instrument capsule if a slower rate of discharge is desired.

What is claimed is:

l. An inhaler for medicinal powder comprising a body having a cavity therein and also having openings from the cavity to the exterior of the body at displaced points whereby a suction applied at one of the openings will cause air to flow into the other opening and sweep through said cavity, positioning means for initially holding a container of powdered material iny place within said cavity, guide means for directing a piercing instrument against the container while being restrained by said positioning means so that the container can be punctured, whereby the air current sweeping through the cavity will agitate the container and dislodge its contents through the punctured opening into the air current.

2. An inhaler for medicinal powder comprising .a body having a cavity therein and also having into the other opening and sweep through said cavity, positioning means dened by the wall of a recess internally of said body for initially holding the container of powdered material in place within said cavity, guide means defined by an opening through the wall of said body for directing a piercing instrument against the container while being restrained by said positioning means so that the container can be punctured, whereby the air current sweeping through the cavity will agitate the container and dislodge its contents through the punctured opening into the air current.

3. An inhaler for medicinal powder comprising a body having a cavity therein and also having openings from the cavity to the exterior of the body at displaced points whereby a suction applied at one of the openings will cause air to flow into the other opening and sweep through said cavity, a container forvthe medicinal powder located within said cavity, guide means for directing a piercing instrument against the container while positioned in the cavity to puncture it, the cavity in said body being larger in all dimensions than the container, whereby the punctured container can become agitated and turn about in all directions and dislodge its contents into the air current sweeping through the cavity.

4. An inhaler for medicinal powder comprising a body having a cavity therein and also having openings from the cavity to the exterior of the body at displaced points whereby a suction applied at one of the openings will cause air to flow into the other opening and sweep through said cavity, a container for the medicinal powder located within said cavity, positioning means for initially holding the container in place within said cavity, guide means for directing a piercing instrument against the container while being restrained by said positioning means so that the container can be punctured, the cavity in said body being larger in all dimensions than the container, whereby the container can become agitated and turn about in all directions and dislodge its contents into the air current sweeping through the cavity.

5: An inhaler for medicinal powder comprising a body having a cavity therein and also having openings from the cavity to the exterior of the body at displaced points whereby a suction applied at one of the openings will cause air to ow into the other opening and sweep through said cavity, and a container for the medicinal powder located within said cavity, the internal wall of said body having a recess therein for initially holding the container in place within said cavity, the wall of said body having an opening therethrough entering into said recess for directing a piercing instrument against the container while being disposed in said recess so that the container can be punctured, the cavity in said body being larger in all dimensions than the container, whereby the container can become agitated and turn about in all directions and dislodge itsI contents into the air current sweeping through the cavity.

6. An inhaler for medicinal powder comprising a body which includes a base and a hollow cover, means on the base and cover for their interiit to retain them in assembled relationship, said base having a recess therein to receive a container for powdered material, the wall of said base having an opening therethrough entering into said recess for guiding a piercing instrument against the container in the recess so it can be punctured, said cover having an outlet opening to be drawn upon, and said body having an inlet opening therein at a displaced point so that when suction is applied to the outlet opening a current of air will sweep through the hollow interior.

VICTOR C. HALL.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Singer May 5, 1914 Number 

